Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Mentally disordered man jumps into lion's pit

A man who suffers from a mental disorder jumped into the lion's pit at the Taipei City Zoo on Wednesday. The forty-six-year-old intentionally provoked the lion by waving his jacket like a bullfighter. The aggravated tiger then attacked the man, but he was saved eventually after the zoo staff anesthetized the tiger with rifle shot.

Come out or you will dieshouted one visitor warning the man. The man, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, first began provoking the big cat while standing outside the lion's pit. At first, the lions didn't pay much attention to the man. But when he began waving his jacket at the ferocious animal, the lion finally jumped and attacked the man.

What is that guy doing, so scary I can't watch this. Let's go get help from the zoo staff said another visitor passing by. Visitors walking by were all petrified at the man's action. The lion left teeth marks on the man's arm and left leg, but the man still did not stop aggravating the big cat. He began to mumble prayers to the lion with both arms open wide. Almost seems as if he was trying to imitate Daniel in the Den from the bible.

This visitor used his jacket to provoke our lions. Our lions did bite him, but after the lion took away his jacket the lions also left him alon said one zoo staff. The incident happened around 11:30 in the morning. The zoo staff called the police immediately for assistance, as the lion had not yet been fed, and they were afraid that it might devour the man. The police mobilized a team with loaded rifles, and the fire department was also standing by with fire trucks.

Despite the warning signs in the African Animal Area, which are clearly labeled ¡§the lion's pit¡¨ the man just climbed the two-story high concrete wall and jumped down into the animal's home. Luckily, he suffered only minor bite wounds, unlike the innocent lions, who were anesthetized and quarantined. The lions will leave their display area temporarily for health checks, so as to make sure that they will not suffer any after-effects of the drugs.

http://www.ettoday.com/2004/11/03/11195-1708663.htm

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